UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-Q

(Mark One)

For the quarterly period ended March 31,June 30, 2019

OR

For the Transition Period From                   to

Commission file number 001-35810

QUALSTAR CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (805) 583-7744

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports); and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes ☑  No☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).  Yes ☑  No☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and emerging growth company in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).  Yes ☐ No ☑

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

At May 2,August 8, 2019 the issuer had 1,959,0211,923,752 shares of common stock, no par value, issued and outstanding. 

QUALSTAR CORPORATION

FORM 10-Q

FOR THE QUARTERLY PERIOD ENDED MARCH 31,JUNE 30, 2019

INDEX

PART I — FINANCIAL INFORMATION

PART I — FINANCIAL INFORMATION

ITEM 1.  Financial Statements

NOTE 1 – SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2018, has been derived from audited consolidated financial statements. The accompanying unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the same basis as our annual audited consolidated financial statements and in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for interim financial statements.

Preparing condensed consolidated financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses.  Examples include estimates of loss contingencies, product life cycles and inventory obsolescence, bad debts, sales returns, share-based compensation, forfeiture rates, the potential outcome of future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in our financial statements or tax returns and determining when investment impairments are other-than-temporary.  Actual results and outcomes may differ from management’s estimates and assumptions.

Qualstar has established two additional subsidiaries to aid in the Company’s global expansion. On July 4, 2018, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Qualstar Corporation, Qualstar Limited, was created to operate the Company’s data storage business in Europe and Africa. On September 5, 2018, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Qualstar Corporation, Q-Smart Data Private Limited, was created to operate the Company’s data storage business in Asia.  

We design our products at our facilities in California and Singapore. We sell our products globally through authorized resellers and directly to OEMs. N2Power utilizes contract manufacturers in Asia to produce our power solutions products. Our storage products are manufactured by us at our factory in Simi Valley, California and by our OEM suppliers in other parts of the world.  

The Company's significant accounting policies are disclosed in Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, filed with the SEC on March 7, 2019 (the “Annual Report”). There were no material changes to the significant accounting policies during the three months ended March 31,June 30, 2019, apart from the Company's accounting policy related to the accounting for leases, as discussed below.

Principles of Consolidation

The condensed consolidated financial statements include our accounts and the accounts of each of our wholly owned subsidiaries that were in existence during the periods presented: Qualstar Corporation Singapore Private Limited, N2Power, Inc., Qualstar Limited and Q-Smart Data Private Limited. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Interim results are not necessarily indicative of results for a full year.  The information included in this Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with information included in the Company’s Annual Report.

QUALSTAR CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Unaudited)-(Continued)

Revenue Recognition

The Company recognizes revenue when its customer obtains control of promised goods or services, in an amount that reflects the consideration which we expect to receive in exchange for those goods or services.  To determine revenue recognition for arrangements that the Company determines are within the scope of ASC 606, we perform the following five steps: (i) identify the contract(s) with a customer; (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract; (iii) determine the transaction price; (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) we satisfy a performance obligation. The five-step model is applied to contracts when it is probable that we will collect the consideration we are entitled to in exchange for the goods or services transferred to the customer. At contract inception, once the contract is determined to be within the scope of ASC 606, we assess the goods or services promised within each contract and determine those that are performance obligations and assess whether each promised good or service is distinct. We then recognize revenue in the amount of the transaction price that is allocated to the respective performance obligation when (or as) the performance obligation is satisfied.

Title and risk of loss generally pass to our customers upon shipment.  In limited circumstances where either title or risk of loss pass upon destination, we defer revenue recognition until such events occur. We derive revenues from two primary sources: products and services. Product revenue includes the shipment of product according to the agreement with our customers for data storage products and power supplies. Services include customer support (technical support), installations, consulting, and design services. A contract may include both product and services. Rarely, contracts with customers contain multiple performance obligations. For these contracts, the Company accounts for individual performance obligations separately if they are distinct. The transaction price is allocated to the separate performance obligations on a relative standalone selling price basis. Standalone selling prices are typically estimated based on observable transactions when these services are sold on a standalone basis.

A variety of technical services can be contracted by our customers for a designated period of time. The service contracts allow customers to call Qualstar for technical support, replace defective parts and to have onsite service provided by Qualstar’s third party contract service provider. We record revenue for contract services at the amount of the service contract, but such amount is deferred at the beginning of the service term and amortized ratably over the life of the contract.

Deferred service revenue is shown separately in the condensed consolidated balance sheets as current and long term.  At March 31,June 30, 2019 we had deferred service revenue of approximately $864,000.$786,000.  At December 31, 2018, we had deferred service revenue of approximately $863,000.

Legal and Other Contingencies

The outcomes of legal proceedings and claims brought against us are subject to significant uncertainty. An estimated loss from a loss contingency such as a legal proceeding or claim is accrued by a charge to income if it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. When legal costs that the entity expects to incur in defending itself in connection with a loss contingency accrual are expected to be material, the loss should factor in all costs and, if the legal costs are reasonably estimable, they should be accrued in accordance with ASC 450, regardless of whether a liability can be estimated for the contingency itself. Disclosure of a contingency is required if there is at least a reasonable possibility that a loss has been incurred. Changes in these factors could materially impact our condensed consolidated financial statements. At March 31,June 30, 2019 we had a loss contingency of $97,000.$2,000.  At December 31, 2018, we had a loss contingency reserve of $100,000.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The carrying amounts of the Company's financial instruments, which include cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable, related party, and other long-term liabilities, approximate their fair values.

 QUALSTAR CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Unaudited)-(Continued)

Accounting for Income Taxes

We estimate our tax liabilities based on current tax laws in the statutory jurisdictions in which we operate in accordance with ASC 740, “Income Taxes.” These estimates include judgments about deferred tax assets and liabilities resulting from temporary differences between assets and liabilities recognized for financial reporting purposes and such amounts recognized for tax purposes, as well as about the realization of deferred tax assets.  We may recognize the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained upon examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such a position should be measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. ASC 740 also provides guidance on derecognition of income tax assets and liabilities, classification of current and deferred income tax assets and liabilities, accounting for interest and penalties associated with tax positions, and income tax disclosures.

We maintain a valuation allowance to reduce our deferred tax assets due to the uncertainty surrounding the timing of realizing the benefits of net deferred tax assets in future years. We have considered future taxable income and ongoing prudent and feasible tax planning strategies in assessing the need for such a valuation allowance. In the event we were to determine that we would be able to realize all or part of our net deferred tax asset in the future, the valuation allowance would be decreased accordingly.

We may periodically undergo examinations by the federal and state regulatory authorities and the Internal Revenue Service. We may be assessed additional taxes and/or penalties contingent on the outcome of these examinations. Our previous examinations have not resulted in any unfavorable or significant assessments. No provision is required,has been made, as the Company has net operating loss carryforwards available to offset taxable income.

Leases

Effective January 1, 2019, the Company accounts for its leases under ASC 842, Leases.  Under this guidance, arrangements meeting the definition of a lease are classified as operating or financing leases, and are recorded on the consolidated balance sheet as both a right of use asset and lease liability, calculated by discounting fixed lease payments over the lease term at the rate implicit in the lease or the Company’s incremental borrowing rate.  Lease liabilities are increased by interest and reduced by payments each period, and the right of use asset is amortized over the lease term.  For operating leases, interest on the lease liability and the amortization of the right of use asset result in straight-line rent expense over the lease term.  For finance leases, interest on the lease liability and the amortization of the right of use asset results in front-loaded expense over the lease term.  Variable lease expenses are recorded when incurred.

In calculating the right of use asset and lease liability, the Company electshas elected to combine lease and non-lease components.  The Company excludes short-term leases having initial terms of 12 months or less from the new guidance as an accounting policy election, and recognizes rent expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

The Company continues to account for leases in the prior period financial statements under ASC Topic 840.

Operating Segments

The Company operates in two segments, Data Storage and Power Supplies. Operating segments are identified as functional groups within an enterprise in which discrete financial information is utilized by the chief operating decision maker in allocating resources and assessing performance. In the case of Qualstar, the chief operating decision maker is its President and Chief Executive Officer. This position maintains decision-making control over, and assesses the performance of, the two divisional levels of the Company.

 QUALSTAR CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Unaudited)-(Continued)

NOTE 2 – RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

Recent accounting guidance adopted

FASB issued ASU 2016-02, ASU 2018-09, ASU 2018-10, 2018-11, and 2019-01 to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements and to provide guidance related to accounting for leases, such as the application of an implicit rate, lessee reassessment of lease classification and certain transition adjustments. The Company elected ASU-11’s alternative transition approach of recording lease liabilities and right-of-use assets via a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings at the date of adoption. Effective January 1, 2019, the Company adopted ASU 2016-02, ASU 2018-09, ASU 2018-10, 2018-11 and 2019-0. The result is the recording of the lease liability and the right-of-use asset to the balance sheet and it did not have a material effect on our consolidated results of operations or consolidated cash flows.

In June 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-07 as a simplification for the accounting for non-employee share-based payment transactions resulting from expanding the scope of Topic 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation. This standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018. Effective January 1, 2019, the Company adopted ASU 2018-07 and it did not have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements.

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-02 to provide guidance related to adjustments for deferred tax assets and liabilities based on the changes created by the U.S. federal government tax bill enacted December 22, 2017. This standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018. Effective January 1, 2019, the Company adopted ASU 2018-02 and it did not have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements.

NOTE 3 - BALANCE SHEET DETAILS

The following tables provide details of selected balance sheet accounts (in thousands):

Inventories

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost (first-in, first-out basis) or net realizable value. Inventories are comprised as follows (in thousands):

NOTE 4 –CONTINGENCIES

Accrued Warranty

We provide a three-year advance replacement warranty on all XLS and RLS libraries and a two-year warranty on our Q-Series libraries. This includes replacement of components, or if necessary, complete libraries. XLS libraries sold in North America also include one year of on-site service. Customers may purchase on-site service if they are located in the United States, Canada, and selected countries in Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. All customers may purchase extended warranty service coverage upon expiration of the standard warranty.

We provide a three-year warranty on all power supplies that includes repair or if necessary, replacement of the power supply.

A provision for costs related to warranty expense is recorded when revenue is recognized, which is estimated based on historical warranty costs incurred.

Activity in the liability for product warranty (included in other accrued liabilities) for the periods presented is as follows (in thousands):

NOTE 5 – NET EARNINGS PER SHARE

Basic net earnings per share has been computed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding.   Diluted net earnings per share has been computed by dividing net earnings by the weighted average common shares outstanding plus dilutive securities or other contracts to issue common stock as if these securities were exercised or converted to common stock.

The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted net income or loss per share for the periods indicated, in thousands, except per share amounts.

For the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, 178,000 and 4,666 outstanding

Outstanding stock options that were excluded from the calculation of diluted net income per share, as their inclusion would have been anti-dilutive.anti-dilutive, were 178,000 and 1,333 stock options for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

NOTE 6 – STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

On December 5, 2018, the board of directors approved a stock repurchase program (the “Stock Repurchase Program”) to repurchase shares of the Company’s common stock. The program permitted repurchases of up to a maximum aggregate purchase price of $2,400,000 and the number of shares of Common Stock repurchased shall not exceed 409,000. Under the Stock Repurchase Program, 58,734during the three and six months ended June 30, 2019 a total of 33,972 and 92,706 shares were repurchased, during the three months ended March 31, 2019 andwith a total of 76,836110,808 shares havehaving been repurchased since the program began. The program expires December 5, 2019.

NOTE 7 –STOCK INCENTIVE PLANS AND SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION

Share-Based Compensation

The Company did not incur an expense for share-based compensation associated with outstanding stock options for the three and six months ended March 31,June 30, 2019 and 2018. No income tax benefit was recognized in the condensed consolidated statements of operations for share-based arrangements in any period presented. At March 31,June 30, 2019, the Company did not have any unrecognized compensation costs related to share-based compensation.

 QUALSTAR CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Unaudited)-(Continued)

Stock Option Plan

The Company has two share-based compensation plans as described below.

Qualstar adopted the 2008 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2008 Plan”) under which incentive and nonqualified stock options and restricted stock could be granted for shares of common stock. The 2008 Plan has expired and no additional options may be granted under that plan. However, 20,000 options that were previously granted under the 2008 Plan will continue under their terms.

The 2017 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2017 Plan”) was approved by Qualstar shareholders on June 13, 2017. The 2017 Plan permits the award of stock options (both incentive and non-qualified options), stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units, unrestricted stock, performance shares, dividend equivalent rights and cash-based awards to employees (including executive officers), directors and consultants of the Company and its subsidiaries. The 2017 Plan authorizes the issuance of an aggregate of 200,000300,000 shares of common stock and the plan is administered by the Compensation Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors.

With respect to options, the fair value of each option award is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option valuation model that uses various assumptions, such as volatility, expected term and risk-free interest rate. Expected volatilities are based on the historical volatility of the Company’s stock. The Company uses historical data to estimate option exercise and employee termination in determining forfeiture rates. The expected term of options granted is estimated based on the vesting term of the award, historical employee exercise behavior, expected volatility of the Company’s stock and an employee’s average length of service. The risk-free interest rate used in this model correlates to a U.S. constant rate Treasury security with a contractual life that approximates the expected term of the option award.

The following table summarizes stock option activity:

NOTE 8 – INCOME TAXES

We did not record a provision or benefit for income taxes for the three and six months ended March 31,June 30, 2019 and 2018, as the Company has net operating loss carryforwards available to offset taxable income. The Company has recorded a full valuation allowance against its net deferred tax assets based on the Company’s assessment regarding the realizable nature of these net deferred tax assets in future periods. The 2017 federal tax return is currently subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service.

 QUALSTAR CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Unaudited)-(Continued)

NOTE 9 – SIGNIFICANT CUSTOMERS, CONCENTRATION OF CREDIT RISK, AND GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION

We have no outstanding debt nor do we utilize auction rate securities or derivative financial instruments in our investment portfolio. Cash and other investments may be in excess of FDIC insurance limits.

Our financial results could be affected by changes in foreign currency exchange rates or weak economic conditions in foreign markets. As all sales are currently made in U.S. dollars, a strengthening of the dollar could make our products less competitive in foreign markets.

NOTE 10 – COMMITMENTS

Lease Agreements

The Company has entered into a new lease in Camarillo, California for its headquarters beginning June 1, 2019. The facility is 9,910 square feet and is a 5 year and two-month lease, expiring July 31, 2024. The rent on this facility is $9,910 per month with a 3% step-up annually. Qualstar subleases a portion of the warehouse space to Interlink Electronics, Inc. (“Interlink”) and BKF Capital Group, Inc. (“BKF”) and is reimbursed for the space and other related expenses on a monthly basis. As described in Note 12, Interlink and BKF are related parties.

Qualstar leases a 15,160 square foot facility located in Simi Valley, California. The three-year lease began December 15, 2014 and has been renewed for an additional three years, expiring February 28, 2021. Rent on this facility is $11,000 per month with a step-up of 3% annually. Prior to the assignment Qualstar subleasessubleased a portion of the warehouse space to Interlink Electronics, Inc. (“Interlink”) and iswas reimbursed for the space and other related expenses on a monthly basis. As described in Note 14,12, Interlink is a related party. On May 22, 2019, Qualstar entered into a Standard Sublease Multi-Tenant (the “Sublease”), with Stillwater Agency, Inc., a California corporation (“Stillwater”), for the Simi Valley location, which previously served as Qualstar’s head office location and principal executive office. The term of the Sublease commences on July 15, 2019 and ends on February 28, 2021 (the “Term”). The base rent under the Sublease is approximately $12,886.00 per month. Stillwater is also responsible for approximately nine percent (9%) of certain operating expenses and taxes associated with the office building in which the leased premises are located.

Qualstar also leases approximately 5,400 square feet of office space in Westlake Village, California, that expires January 31, 2020. Rent on this facility is $11,000 per month, with a step-up of 3% annually. Effective March 21, 2016, Qualstar entered into a sublease agreement for the Westlake Village facility. The term of the sublease expires at the same time as the term of the master lease and the tenant pays Qualstar $12,000 per month with a step-up of 3% annually.

QUALSTAR CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Unaudited)-(Continued)

Effective April 1, 2016, a two-year lease was signed for 1,359 square feet for $2,500 per month in Singapore, which has been renewed until March 31, 2020.

Such leases do not require any contingent rental payments, impose any financial restrictions, or contain any residual value guarantees.  Variable expenses generally represent the Company’s share of the landlord’s operating expenses.  The Company does not have any leases classified as financing leases.

QUALSTAR CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Unaudited)-(Continued)

The rate implicit in each lease is not readily determinable, and we therefore use our incremental borrowing rate to determine the present value of the lease payments. The weighted average incremental borrowing rate used to determine the initial value of right of use (ROU) assets and lease liabilities during the three months ended March 31,June 30, 2019 was 6.75%, derived from borrowing rate quotes as obtained from the Company’s business bank. We have certain contracts for real estate which may contain lease and non-lease components which we have elected to treat as a single lease component.

Right of use assets for operating leases are periodically reduced by impairment losses. We use the long-lived assets impairment guidance in ASC Subtopic 360-10, Property, Plant, and Equipment – Overall, to determine whether a ROU asset is impaired, and if so, the amount of the impairment loss to recognize.  As of March 31,June 30, 2019, we have not recognized any impairment losses for our ROU assets.

We monitor for events or changes in circumstances that require a reassessment of one of our leases. When a reassessment results in the remeasurement of a lease liability, a corresponding adjustment is made to the carrying amount of the corresponding ROU asset unless doing so would reduce the carrying amount of the ROU asset to an amount less than zero. In that case, the amount of the adjustment that would result in a negative ROU asset balance is recorded in profit or loss.   

At March 31,June 30, 2019, the Company had current and long-term operating lease liabilities of $229,000$303,000 and $152,000,$545,000, respectively, and right of use assets of $363,000.$822,000.

Future minimum lease payments under these leases are as follows, in thousands, (unaudited):

NOTE 11 – SEGMENT INFORMATION

In its operation of the business, management reviews certain financial information, including segmented internal profit and loss statements prepared on a basis consistent with U.S. GAAP. Our two segments are Power Supplies and Data Storage. The two segments discussed in this analysis are presented in the way we internally manage and monitor performance for the three and six months ended March 31,June 30, 2019 and 2018. Our allocations of internal resources were made to the two business segments for the three and six months ended March 31,June 30, 2019 and 2018. The types of products and services provided by each segment are summarized below:

Power Supplies — The Company designs and markets high-efficiency switching power supplies. We utilize contract manufacturers in Asia to produce the power supply products. These power supplies are used to convert AC line voltage to DC voltages, or DC voltages to other DC voltages for use in a wide variety of electronic equipment such as communications equipment, industrial machine tools, wireless systems, as well as medical and gaming devices. We sell our products globally through authorized resellers and directly to original equipment manufacturers (“OEMs”).

Storage — The data storage industry is experiencing a tremendous increase in newly generated digital data due to Rich Media Content, Internet of Things, Data Mining and the Cloud. Tape based storage solution providers enable businesses to manage the massive growth of digital data assets in a cost-effective manner. Our tape-based data storage product lines address long-term archive, backup and recovery of electronic data. These products consist of networked libraries that store and move high-density tape cartridges and high-speed tape drives that stream data to and from the tape cartridges. These optimized solutions allow the video centric markets such as media and entertainment, oil and gas, surveillance, digital security and medical imaging to achieve targeted data workflows.

Segment revenue, income before taxes and total assets were as follows (in thousands):

 QUALSTAR CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Unaudited)-(Continued)